Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS Overdrive! - Album Collection
by SakushiRyu
Summary: A series of AUs and ships relative to my other story, Overdrive, or VRAINS in general. Rated M for safety.
1. Pause rewind OK, now go

**Title: **Pause... rewind... OK, now go.

**Summary:** Lily dies. But she gets a second chance... at _everything_.

**Ships:** mentioned Aso x Baira

**Contains specials like:** human/Ignis Grim and Lily

**Notes:** Yusaku and Kusanagi have parents, Takeru's parents don't die during the Incident, Miyu and Mizumi's parents don't die before the Incident, Kogami's house at Stardust Road has a basement where he makes his research on the Incident-data, and I'm not too familiar with adopting and all that.

* * *

Lily was always curious if your entire life flashes across your vision moments before death. Like, will she see herself falling off a D-Board and potentially crash into Blue Angel? Or better yet, see herself almost hit a wall of data while racing with a LANphorhynchus days before Dr. Kogami trapped her?

Weird thoughts...

It's weirder that, as she's dying, she doesn't care about this.

Instead, she continues to stare at Adam's face. _Erika_'s face. _Her_ Origin's face. Although Lily's dying right now, she gives a big smile; she's incredibly happy to die this way, creating a sideway Lily's sure Erika will take, thus starting a new road that'll lead to a new- and _better_\- future.

"Follow a future... you and Kioku _both_ want."

Those are her last words. They're important- _fundamental_, even. No matter what, Erika must remember them. They're the key Lily's handing to her Origin. The key that'll open the door to her sideway.

She can feel the virus crawling over her head, and her vision goes black. Only darkness followed.

Wow...

Life s quite... dull (she thinks that's the right word) in the afterlife. No one ever thought of adding Christmas lights and a large sign that wrote 'You died! Bad luck!' into this "darkness"?

"Oh my... You left the stage too unannounced, Little Soul."

A young and female voice called out to her, then. She couldn't move because she... well, didn't feel her body be there. So she stared, at the outstretching darkness in front of her.

"Are you... Kami-sama?" she asked, hesitantly. Oh... it seems she can talk. That's one ability.

"Indeed I am. But... you may call me Ylil."

"Isn't that... my name but reversed?" Lily asked, but immediately regretted; she's talking with a God and she's being rude-

Ylil let out a short laugh, which cut her thinking off.

"You'd be surprised by the story my name carries," the Goddess explained. "However, that's a matter for another day. There's something else I'd like to discuss with you, Little Soul."

"Oh... I... see." Lily didn't really know how to phrase her words.

"You may speak freely with me, I'm not a lover of the 'holier-than-thou' vibe."

"Phew, that's a relief!" she exclaimed with a happy exhale. "It started to hurt my brain all that thinking of how to address you! Well... I believe I still have a brain if I can think- Uh, sorry for interrupting."

Ylil chuckled before continuing. "You're a very important piece of... _Erika_. Your death... are you sure this was for the greater good? No regrets?"

"I thought about it. A lot." Lily assured. "I want to help my Origin the best way I can. And this... maybe there was a better way to do it, but _this_... I'm sure she'll make the right decision. She's a strong and smart girl."

"Just like yourself." Ylil commented. "I understand your choice, Little Soul. But... you're dead. Are you not scared of death?"

"Do many say 'yes' to that question?"

A pause.

"...In truth, I don't speak with many after their last moments. It's mainly my Onii-sama who does it; he did list quite a few who answered yes if I'm not mistaken."

"Well... to be honest, no. I'm not scared right now." Lily said. "Sure, there are a lot of things I wanted to do, but I accepted my fate. If I have to die, I'll do it by helping Erika."

Another pause.

"I admire your spirit." Ylil admitted. "It's beautiful... Little Soul, if you would get a second chance at life, would you take it? Having the ability to correct your mistakes is a rare gift."

"Whoa! Hold up! Time out!" Lily quickly shouted. "A s-second chance!? Oh my data- I-I don't even know where I would start, honestly." she let out a startled chuckle. "That's a... a tough question."

"Would you accept it?"

If Lily would have the eyes to look at the Goddess, she would be staring at her wide-eyed.

"M-Me? A second chance? But... why me? What have I done to you to be worthy of that...?"

"Oh, Little Soul; you've done so much. Not to me, but... to the living."

"The living?"

"Yes. To those who live on Earth and had their fates tied to yours. What you've done to them is worthy of such a gift. However, I'll have to remind you that, once you alter reality, it cannot be undone. There won't be a third chance."

Should Lily take it? A second chance... it means she can stop a disaster like the Lost Incident, help others before their pain is born, maybe even _save_ people!

Erika... Lily fought intensely on her behalf- but now it's time she opens a future for the entire world. She made a decision a long time ago: she'll stop being blind and she'll fight. This situation is no different. If she has the chance to help others, she _has _to take it.

So she answered the Goddess. "I accept your kind gift, Ylil... thank you."

"I'll have to ask a favor from you if that's your decision. The powers you vested so far shall travel with you in time, but with an addition: my light."

Lily gasped. "A power-up, sweet! But, what do you mean by _your_ light...?"

"You have wings, don't you? To put in short, when you use them, they'll emit a strong glow which contains a fraction of my powers, allowing you to... I believe you would say 'knock some sense into people'."

That'll come in handy, especially because Lily doesn't know what Grim did to Dr. Kogami all those years ago. It's time... she's actually going to go back and change _everything _for the better. This task put a lot of strain on her shoulders that, surprisingly, wasn't making her back down but drive her forward.

"Light is hope. Hope is the power to create miracles. Don't forget the emotions you felt and the words you heard up to this moment, Little Soul. May your efforts create a new world."

Her words left a loud ring in Lily's head, and before she could say 'Kuriboh', the darkness vanished in the blink of an eye and she found herself back in her living body, in the network.

It was a strange feeling. Like, when you suddenly wake up from sleep with a jolt and you need a second to understand what in Hell is going on. No Christmas lights and a large 'You _didn't_ die! Good for you!' sign- what a letdown...

"Lily!" a voice squealed from the side. Catche Eve L2's paws suddenly took hold of her shoulders and shook her around. "You OK? You weren't doing anything like when a character stops moving because you lost connection with the controller!"

Latency was beside the Duel Monster, pointing at her hourglass before holding up two fingers. She held a one-minute hourglass, which meant Lily was out for two whole minutes.

Catche and Latency, back in the past, network, not in Dr. Kogami's prison- Lily gasped loudly as she placed the puzzle together. She remembered this day clear as a day! She and Catche were going to compete on who can hold their breath the longest, Latency there as an eye-witness, then she's suddenly imprisoned by Dr. Kogami.

"SNAP BASKETS!" Lily exclaimed, shuffling on her feet and hands in the air. She has to stop Grim before he does the _thing_ that persuaded Dr. Kogami to lock them up!

"Girl, you alright?" Catche asked in confusion. "Hey, why are your eyes light blue-"

"I don't have time to explain why I don't have time to explain!" Lily shouted as she vanished in data, traveling in the network in search of Grim. It didn't take long until she found a trace of the DARK Ignis that lead her to a barely lit basement.

There was enough light to reveal the giant mess Grim was making: the Ignis was in a scary and large form of a winged serpent, attacking Dr. Kogami, three people in lab coats, and a little kid with white hair and purple highlights!

"Don't worry! I shall save y-"

_THUD!_

"Ow!" Lily's heroic debut was cut short as she hit an invisible wall, which turned out to be the computer's screen she appeared on. She rubbed her 'nose' with a scowl. "Stupid invisible-force-barrier! Don't make me use my bazooka on you!"

"IGNF2!" a man with navy hair and lighter blue highlights, who was pointing a gun at Grim, gasped.

"Stop that-Stop this-Stop _everything_ that's happening right now!" Lily cried out, waving her two index fingers at the mess. "We should all calm down and not kill each other-"

"**Stay out of this, Lily!**" Grim roared at her, causing her to flinch. "**This is about **_**my **_**Origin!**"

Yeah, that's certainly the case. Kioku is the reason Grim's here, in that form, with that anger and sorrow. And where was past-Lily while this happened? At a competition of who can hold their breath the longest. Lily's ashamed- no, disgusted at herself. She lived for ten years immersed in that folly...

And she had _enough_. This isn't about Kioku, about Grim, about the Lost Incident- damn it, it's about everyone!

Everyone's involved in this as much as everyone else is, and it's time Lily finally stands up to it the way she should've done all those years ago, and not at the last moment where people die by Lightning's mad and stupid schemes!

Lily felt the yellow markings over her body ignite as she pointed an accusing finger at Grim, with a glare herself didn't know she can give.

"No, this about _us_!" she corrected him. "And I said _stop_!"

The two wings sprouted from her back, and she spread them out in all their glory, letting their glowing feathers illuminate the entire screen and basement, with the others covering their eyes to take stop the light from blinding them.

Her wings fizzled out of existence, and with it, the light vanished. Grim looked even-tempered, changing back to his real form, and Dr. Kogami was staring at nothing in particular with wide-eyes, almost falling to his back if it wasn't for a man with green hair and glasses catching him.

"Th-That... light..." he mumbled, pointing a finger at Lily. "You... You met Her... Ylil..."

"You know her?" she asked in surprise. The doctor... knew the Goddess? What!?

Dr. Kogami pulled himself to his feet and stumbled to the computers, drenched in cold sweat, surely by Grim's attack and Ylil's light.

"She sent you to stop _his_ plan..." he muttered, then glanced at the DARK Ignis. "I'm sorry. I... I'm releasing him. All the children. I have to stop this now."

Grim's eyes widen a little in evident delight and Lily struck a fist into a palm in joy.

"Kogami-sama..." the navy-haired man gasped, looking stunned- stunned in a good way.

The man in the center of attention fully turned around, noticing the woman with his child, who was still scared and shaking, in her arms.

"Kyoko, go upstairs and watch over Ryoken." Dr. Kogami said. "Please... watch over him for a little bit."

"Y-Yes." the woman, Kyoko, nodded, still shocked and stunned. With Ryoken- what a beautiful name, Lily noted- she left the basement.

Turning his head to the two men, "Aso, shut down the VR sets used by the children and give Kioku and Erika back their memories. Genome, make the preparations for their extractions. We can't let the authorities cover those grounds and presumably find leads that connect to us."

Aso and Genome nodded, going to work, with the latter leaving the basement. Aso rebooted a computer, allowing him to work, while Grim took a step towards the doctor.

"But you said it yourself Kioku has no parents to return to." he pointed out with a glare. "What do you intend to do with him?"

"I'll adopt him."

Everyone who remained stared at him with wide-eyes.

"You... what did you say?"

"You heard me right." Dr. Kogami confirmed. "Him and Erika. I'll adopt them. It's out of respect for their parents who had to die because of me. If I took them away... it's my responsibility to care for them."

"I already saw what you're capable of." Grim snarled. "No kid is safe in your hands!"

"That's why you'll be guarding him, too." that made him blink. "You... You've become another part of that poor child's being. It would be a sin for me not to let you be by his side."

He turned to the LIGHT Ignis. "And obviously, Erika needs you as well."

"YES! IT WORKED!" Lily bellowed in happiness. This second chance worked. It actually worked! She's so happy she can feel tears running down her cheeks! All those things she didn't get to do with or without Erika and the others can be finally accomplished! Destiny just got slapped in the face so hard by Lily that she's sure It added her to its death list marked in red.

Grim was equally happy but made one more question. "What... made you change ideas so easily?"

Even Aso turned to stare at the doctor, who glanced at Lily again.

"It was her light," he simply explained. "Truly, a Goddess' light. Thank you, IGNF2..."

"It's Lily, actually." she pointed out. "And it was my pleasure."

"The car's ready, Kogami-sama." Genome's voice came from the stairs as he appeared.

"I'm done, too." Aso's hands left the keyboard.

"Good." Dr. Kogami nodded. He turned to the two Ignis. "I'll need your help with this operation."

"Count on us!" Lily struck her fists together. Then frowned. "Uh, well, if I could leave this screen..."

"You can do it." Grim said. "It's enough if you focus on the screen and it'll allow you to pass."

"Really!?" like, she had this amazing ability to cross worlds but never knew of it? If she's not mistaken, Grim did mention a program Dr. Kogami stole from him when he placed them in the prison. This is the ability he stole from him _and_ her!? Wow, the more you know.

"Lily, wait-"

_THUD!_

This time, her face met the cold pavement as she managed to walk out but immediately forgot about the landing. Grim and Dr. Kogami helped her to stand up, Lily fuming at the 'stupid invisible-force-barrier'.

A van was parked outside the Kogami residence, waiting for them with its backdoors opened. Aso stayed home with Kyoko and Ryoken per Dr. Kogami's orders, and he and Genome went to the driver and passenger seat respectively, Grim and Lily in the back.

The ride to their destination wasn't particularly long, but an awkward silence hand in the air. Lily wanted to start a conversation but decided not to. She took hold of Grim's hand instead, squeezing it a little: going to save Kioku from this incident is what Grim wanted to do the most in life, but failed to accomplish. He might not be the future-Grim she knows, but Lily is sure her friend is getting very agitated and... scared.

Scared of what he'll see on Kioku's face. She knows this better than anyone- she's feeling those same emotions right now. That's why, when Grim squeezes her hand gently in reply, her heart felt lighter.

The shadows cast by the trees around the laboratory were ominous, and if it wasn't for her strong spirit, Lily would've chosen to stay in the van. But she didn't. She and Grim firmly planted their feet on the hard ground and glared at the building: this is where they were born, but they hated it to their very core.

It was home to pain and nothing else.

"We can't let the eight see my or Genome's faces, and we two can't touch them either," Dr. Kogami explained. "Or the authorities will have clear leads to us. You two will have to take each child and bring them into the van; since you don't have fingerprints and won't walk in public, it's not a problem if you touch or let them see your face."

The two nodded, listening to his words carefully. He raised an old key, handing it to Grim.

"Use that to open the doors. Genome and I will stay here on patrol."

"Fine." Grim nodded

Behind each door, there was an unconscious kid, presumably knocked out cold by the shock waves sent by the VR sets. Gently taking between their hands, the two Ignis laid them down in the van's back- until reaching their Origins.

Grim dashed over to Kioku, taking him into his arms and inspecting every bruise on his body; no real damage, only minor ones. Standing up and turning to leave, Kioku's small hands held a card, one that was taken out of his Duel Disk which was discarded in the room's corner.

_Pro-Pro!_

The ghost of a smile crossed the DARK Ignis' features, and he took the card with them.

Lily, on the other hand, placed her forehead against Erika's. "Just a little more..." she whispered. "A tiny bit and you all will be happy."

As the last two kids were placed into the van and the backdoors were closed, the rescue team left the area, driving into Den City's desolated outskirts. They left the kids far from the road and in the grass, covering them with blankets so they won't freeze to death.

"You expect me to leave Kioku here?" Grim inquired.

"We can't let anyone see us." Dr. Kogami reminded him. "And the police is on this case for half a year, they'll come immediately if we specify one child's name. Moreover, you can't leave that here." he pointed a finger at the card in Kioku's hands. "Better not take risks."

"But-!"

"I need you to believe me." Grim's words were cut off. "I know... I know I don't deserve it from you... but this once, please. I promise you'll be with Kioku after this."

"Grim..." Lily took hold of his arm, noticing his pent up expression. He stared at Kioku until his eyes narrowed and turned to the man.

"I won't forgive you if that promise's a lie." he finally said, taking the phone from Genome's hand and calling the police, explaining the strange presence of eight unconscious kids in the open at this hour. They told him a squad is on its way, and he hung up.

He took the card from Kioku's hands, moving them to Erika's own. The two siblings grasped their hands, and the two Ignis smiled at this.

The journey back to the mansion was also silent, interrupted by the sounds of sirens in the distance. Aso and Kyoko were waiting for them in the living room, Ryoken in his room and asleep. Dr. Kogami explained to the three his reasons for abandoning the project, what he'll do from this point on, and apologized for involving them and Akimoto into this mess.

They weren't angry at him, in fact, happy for this decision and thanked the Ignis for their help. It was late by now, and they left the mansion, going home to get some rest after all this.

"I'll need your help again, tomorrow night," Dr. Kogami explained. "We need to erase all evidence at the laboratory and the obtained data, and only then we can officially call this incident closed."

"As long as you'll keep our promise, I'll help you." Grim reminded him. "If not, you saw what I can do."

Lily punched him on the shoulder for that; the man's showing some sympathy and this is how he treats him? Sure, what Dr. Kogami did was... on a whole new level of evil, but unlike the future-Kiyoshi she knows, this one stopped before going _too_ far.

"Don't be angry at him." Dr. Kogami addressed her. "I deserve that treatment. But, Lily... I want to know your connection to Ylil. It's rather important."

Not taking any risks with revealing the future to the past, she lied that the Goddess gifted her with Her light and sent her to stop this incident from destroying lives. The man was surprised by this and excused himself to make a phone call, saying they can rest and feel at home.

"...Thank you, Lily."

"No prob-"

Her words were cut short as Grim hugged her. After the shock passed, she hugged him back.

"Hey... if Kioku and Erika are twin siblings... doesn't that make us twins, too?"

"Yeah." Grim chuckled. "It does."

_(in another room)_

"...That's what the Light Ignis told me."

[I see. This move was an interesting one from Ylil.]

"I'll be giving my resignation to SOL tomorrow via email. It's too dangerous for me to take one single step into the enemy's den. I hope that offer you made me years ago is still valid, Kaiba."

[By all means, Kogami. It's always a pleasure to work with an old acquaintance. Ah, that reminds me, my men have just spotted the Trinitas leaving the country.]

"Must be _his _work..."

[I concur. In case the Star Relics make another move, I'll contact you.]

_...(the next day)..._

While Lily and Dr. Kogami were asleep, Grim was staring at Stardust Road from the living room, his arms folded. The anchorwoman in the TV's news broadcast was speaking about the missing eight children that were found last night and currently kept in Den Hospital for care and under strict surveillance; the only ones allowed to visit them were their parents if they had them.

According to her words, the kids will be let out these days because of no major physical damage. It seems their mental recovery is left to the family's care and funds-

"Ah!"

Grim head jerked to the side upon the sudden voice, staring at a scared Ryoken. Damn it, he forgot about the poor kid... he must have scared him to death with the transformation and whole 'killing you all' thing. But this is a good chance for the Ignis to test his skills with kids.

"U-Um," he started, crouching down to eye level. "S-Sorry for yesterday... Your father made me angry and- oi, w-wait!"

He couldn't finish before Ryoken ran towards Dr. Kogami's room. This made him scowl: what if Kioku will have the same reaction? He is a stranger to him after all. Sure, the reason Ryoken ran away is that Grim scared him to death, but Kioku...

_You shouldn't be scared as well, Ignis-san._

"I had a hunch you can talk..." Grim whispered, standing up and staring at Kioku's card. "...Protron, how can you be so sure Kioku won't hate me, too?"

_Kioku is still a child. And the thing any child desires the most is pure _love_. I saw enough to deduce you can give him that love... but if you're insecure, he'll be, too._

"But you already gave him love. Will he accept... mine...?"

_He accepted mine. Your chances are higher than mine. I can feel... many things from you that I felt from Kioku. You are two sides of the same card. Two pieces of a whole- you get my point. So... turn that frown upside down! Kioku needs a smile, not a frown._

Grim didn't reply, and stared at the sunrise in silence.

_...(three days later)..._

"Wait, let me get this straight... WE CAN TURN INTO HUMANS!?"

Everybody present flinched at Lily's sudden shout from the screen, which echoed in the basement and made it worse. Grim, whose name was officially given by Lily because humans don't know Ignis language and it's stupid calling him IGNF1- and this way there's no danger of getting a different name which would make a mess to remember, already his skin's colours being different is confusing-, together with Dr. Kogami and KaibaCorp, have come up with a way to turn them into humans.

Great minds create even greater ideas! So, it goes like this: in IRL, the two Ignis will take on a human appearance, while in the network, they return to their Ignis forms. This will save time in explaining to Erika and Kioku why there are two alien-like beings in the mansion.

"That's right." Dr. Kogami nodded at her question. "We installed two special rooms into the house that'll allow you to enter and leave the network by appearing as humans in IRL. I'll send the access program to you right now."

The second she received it, she left the computer screen by activating it. There was a moment of darkness, but as quick as it came, it disappeared, and Lily found herself in a different part of the mansion, a door sliding open to let her out.

She didn't feel anything different... her attention was caught by a door opening beside hers, and a person stepped out with blinking eyes. It was a fair-skinned youth with short black hair and spiky bangs over his forehead, which had small dark red triangle-shaped highlights, a yellow and red left and right eye respectively and slitted pupils, and a dark red collar-shaped tattoo across his neck.

Lily made the most dramatic gasp ever. "GRIM!"

"Hi." he simply replied, closing and opening his fists continuously. "Hm, everything works fine..."

"It worked!" Kyoko shouted as she and the others ran up to them, the rooms located in the living room's wall.

"Amazing! The Ignis' data became DNA!" Genome beamed in awe. "With this, my research can take a whole new leve-"

"Ahem." Aso placed a hand over his eyes, he and the others closing their eyes. "A little respect, Genome."

"What are you talking about?"

"The discovery is fascinating... but..." Akimoto started. "You're not wearing anything."

...

...

...

The two just realized they were butt naked.

...

...

...

"NANI!?" Lily screamed, trying to cover herself in all ways possible.

"We didn't take that into account..." Grim growled with a frown and blush.

"Father, who screamed? Is everything OK?"

"Ryoken, get back to your room!" Dr. Kogami quickly turned to his son, who _had_ to appear right at this timing. He stopped Ryoken before he could see something wrong and turned him around.

"Is it a new invention!?" he beamed. "Can I see!?"

"L-Later, my boy, later..." the father chuckled while walking away with the child. "We're having some... difficulties at the moment."

_...(Months later)..._

Lily yawned as she walked into the bathroom, getting ready for a new day. Being a human was... enlightening.

Tasting stuff for the first time was such a shock Lily almost screamed. Dr. Kogami was very polite and took everyone out to eat at a restaurant, along with gifting them clothes. The two Ignis were able to learn a lot about their new family at dinner: they talked and laughed while eating, Ryoken included. Since he didn't know Grim was... well, the Ignis-Grim, he talked with him, too.

She stopped at a mirror, her reflection staring back at her: she was a fair-skinned youth with long black hair which had yellow highlights on the bangs over her cheeks, a yellow and red left and right eye respectively, and a yellow collar-shaped tattoo across her neck. She tied her hair into a high ponytail with a red ribbon, made sure to change clothes, and went to eat breakfast.

This was the awaited day: the pre-placement waiting period is now over, and three kids are finally free to be left into their soon-to-be parents' hands!

Oh, yeah, three.

According to Dr. Kogami, one night, the sensors around the laboratory picked up movement, and he saw a victim of the Lost Incident through the cameras. Heading there and confronting the child, he was shocked to hear him saying the incident made time move for him and he had fun during it. He was abandoned by his mother at the feet of a tree, and that very tree which became his motherly figure was cut down.

The kid wanted to be useful like he was back then, during the incident, and he didn't have a place to call home... Dr. Kogami was moved by his words, and he promised he'll do his best to help the kid. Aso and Kyoko wanted a kid since they started dating, so they volunteered to adopt him instead of Dr. Kogami, who already had the Ketsueki twins and couldn't adopt others.

...

The door to Dr. Kogami's car closed as he sat into the driver seat, the twins in the back seats and silent. The orphanage owner, Azumaya Jeanne, was kind enough to let him visit Kioku and Erika yesterday to talk a little and get to know each other, but it was clear the twins were still uncomfortable around him. Out of nowhere, you find out you have a new father- not all kids can easily adjust.

So he had to bond with the kids. And he knows just how.

"From today you two are officially Kogami Kioku and Erika." he said, turning his head to them with a smile. "I welcome you to the family."

"Thank you." they said in unison, not being impolite.

"But I don't want you to forget your roots." he added. "I... well, I knew your parents... before they passed away."

Erika flinched, being the one who saw their parents get killed, but her and Kioku's interest was caught.

"They were two of... no, they _were_ my best friends." Dr. Kogami stated. "We were there for each other through thick and thin. Truly, two of the best people I've ever met. I am sorry you two lost them... but no matter what, promise me you won't forget them."

They slowly nodded, not expecting the sudden reveal. He doesn't dream of replacing Kyoya and Suiko- no, he wants the twins to have a figure that'll help them when their parents can't be there. He's sure Kyoya and Suiko would want that, too.

As he drives, Kioku and Erika make all sort of questions about their parents, which Dr. Kogami was more than happy to answer. They were a curious pair, he noted with a smile.

"Our house!" Kioku exclaimed, and true to his words, the car stopped in front of the Ketsueki residence.

"Why are we here...?" Erika asked in shock and joy.

"I thought there are some things you'd like to bring along." Dr. Kogami told. "I don't know when we could come here again... so here we are."

After opening the gate's door which was left unlocked, he let twins ran into their house. He followed them, but walking, taking in the sight of the house and pictures he passed on the way. He entered his friends' office, and in their respective desks' drawers, he found two blank cards.

_These must be the Overdrive Monsters Kaiba mentioned. _he thought, placing them into his pocket.

He found Kioku and Erika in their room, holding each a little box and pillow in their hands. They were staring at their room with vexed expressions, and Dr. Kogami tensed.

"Everything will be OK." he said, kneeling down beside them and patting their shoulders. "Everything will be OK."

A part of him knew he was saying that to calm himself, too.

"Are mommy and daddy in a good place...?" Erika asked out of the blue.

"Yes, they are." Dr. Kogami smiled. "They were amazing people, surely gifted with a happy afterlife."

"Will we see them again...?" Kioku inquired with a sob.

The man hugged the twins, who did the same. "They never left." he said. "They're always with you, in your heart, believing and cheering for you."

They stayed in that position for a minute or two, and Dr. Kogami stood up with a smile.

"Let's go. There are people waiting for us back home. Is that all you want to take with you?"

The twins nodded, not so vexed than before, and they left the house. On his way out, the man noticed a framed picture on a nightstand, showing the Ketsueki family holding up their Ace Monsters in the backyard. He made sure to take it with him, in honor of his lost friends.

...

"Varrelload Dragon destroys San Vine Slasher!"

"But since I took damage, I can activate San Avalon Dryas' effect! Thanks for freeing the zone next to its Link Marker for me."

"Wait-wha!?"

"Ahem."

It seems Ryoken and Spectre are already on good terms. That sure is a relief since Spectre will be staying majority of the time at the Kogami residence while Aso and Kyoko work, Lily and Grim watching over the kids, and with Dr. Kogami when he has a day off.

The Duel was interrupted by the man, all eyes were on him and the twins, which caused the two to hide behind Dr. Kogami. Grim and Lily were the first- and deserved to be such- to step close to the two.

"Hi, my name's Lily!" she waved her hands with a large smile. "I like doing fun stuff, my favorite colour is gold yellow, and my hobby is to design Cyberse cards which I then use in Duels. Happy to meet you!"

She will never get bored of that straight forward introduction, and it fits her. She's who she is, and to make the kids feel at ease, she can't be tensed or too serious. She needs to smile and add some laughter to the mix.

"E-Erika..." she started with a faint blush, which made Lily's heart squeal. She was so cute! And she let out a smile to boot! "And I like gold yellow as well..."

Erika is different from the future-Erika, and it's no surprise. They lived two different lives up to this point: they were separated by the incident and lost their memories, Lightning came to Erika's side, but she only fed on anger and sadness. That made her become future-Erika.

But now it's another story. They aren't separated, they have their memories, no Lightning that threatens humanity- and a _family_. This is a second chance not only for Lily, but the entire world influenced by her choices.

Now, Grim made a much more distinct introduction. First, he handed a card to his Origin, who took it with a giant smile.

"Protron!" he exclaimed in happiness

Second, he kneeled down and stared at the floor. Third, he made a vow.

"I promise on my faith that I will be faithful to thee, I will shield your back and give my life to-"

"Grim, by 'follow your heart' I didn't mean this!" Lily whispered to him in surprise. A knight's oath? Really? That's so amazing and heartwarming that it went beyond her expectations.

"But this is the perfect way to express my royalty." he stated. "Moreover-"

As they talked, Dr. Kogami whispered something to Kioku, and the young boy stepped forward.

"I doubt the my Knight!"

"I dub thee." Dr. Kogami quickly said through a cough.

"I dub the my Knight!" Kioku almost got it right this time.

"But I didn't finish my sentence." Grim pointed out, eyeing him. "Until every word leaves my mouth, how can you be sure of my vow, Kioku?"

"Oh. Well, Protron was OK with you, so you must be a nice Knight." the kid said. "Thank you... for keeping Protron safe."

Grim blinked. Twice. He lowered his head. "I thank you for accepting me, Kioku."

"I'm Ryoken!" he shouted from the couch. "Grim gave you a Duel Monsters card... does that mean you play it, too?"

"Of course..." he took his sister's hand. "Erika-nee and I are the best team!"

"Eh? Really? Will you Duel me and Spectre!?"

"Me?" teal eyes widen a little. "But our decks aren't meant to Tag Duel..."

"Ours, too..." Erika spoke up, however, you could read some excitement in her voice. "But we like to Duel together, anyway."

Their Dueling soon dragged everyone present along, starting a mini-tournament. In it, Lily and Grim Dueled Erika and Kioku respectively in one-on-one battles. This was the first time she can think of the two Ignis had fun and laughed in a Duel.

_...(Two years later)..._

"San Vine Invalid Dolmen?"

Lily nodded at Spectre, who read the name of a card she just handed to him. She thought it out, but Dr. Kogami was the one to create it since she can't make Monsters outside of Cyberse-types.

"It's a nice addition to your deck, isn't it?"

"It's a good card." Spectre confirmed with a nod. His eyes sparkled with an unknown emotion, something which the LIGHT Ignis saw in her Origin's eyes when they're together. "Thank you, Lily-neesan."

Later that day, when she saw San Vine Invalid Dolmen in front of Spectre's potted tree in the mansion, its Top Marker pointing at it like it's protecting the plant, it made Lily realize an important thing: no matter how different they may be, their ideals may be, and their actions may be, an Ignis and its Origin are two of a whole.

There's always hope at the end of a tunnel.

_...(Eight years later)..._

[And now, give a big round of applause fooooor... Blue Angel and Aqua!]

The crowd in VRAINS went wild upon the two idols' entrance to the stage, singing and dancing to further pump up the fans watching. Blue Angel, Charisma number 2, and Aqua, Charisma number 3, the two idols of LINK VRAINS are very famous, to the point people try to jump onto the stage and hug them. It's a good thing their talented bodyguard, Sedna, is there to stop any disaster.

Blue Angel is Zaizen Aoi, Aqua is Sugisaki Miyu, and Sedna is the latter's sister, Mizumi. It warmed Lily's heart to know Aoi was doing great and had fun along the way with the two girls, her dear friends.

The other Lost Incident victims were doing equally fine, and fun fact, Fujiki Yusaku and Kusanagi Jin attended Den City High School, the same school Kioku, Erika, Ryoken, and Spectre went to. Moreover, the six are friends and frequently hang out together! In addition, Soulburner and Windy, the last victims, came to VRAINS from time to time, where the eight hanged out.

There is _one_ last thing Lily has to take care of...

"You'll pay for this! Your rotten company will pay for this!"

Cynthia sighed in exasperation at a woman on the floor, having been defeated in a Duel and captured by the special agent. Her name was Deirdre if Cynthia isn't mistaken, and she generated a lot of trouble for SOL these days, and that's what lead to this moment.

The woman logged out, but unknown to her, her personal data stolen by Cynthia, meaning SOL can easily track her down in IRL and arrest her. She was about to leave, but an alien-like avatar jumped to the roof she was standing on.

"Yo!"

"What's your business here?" Cynthia asked with another sigh. "What do you want?"

"My name's Lily! Do you mind if we have a friendly Duel, Cynthia-san!?"

Sometimes you have to die a little inside in order to be reborn and rise again as a stronger and wiser version of you.

* * *

"Why did you do that, Onee-sama?"

"Hmmm, it's strange. That's the first question I can't find an answer for."

"You gave Lily a wonderful dream, yet, yourself doesn't know why? What persuaded you?"

"Maybe... it was Erika's influence. When she felt her Ignis die... I felt that emptiness as well. I acted out of sympathy. Even the Gods can feel human emotions, it seems. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"What you call beautiful, it is in my eyes as well, Onee-sama."

"Fufu, thank you, Onii-sama. Gallant as always."

* * *

**Important A/N:**

**Soooooo I have a lot of things to talk about. As stated by Mirg (Onii-sama), Ylil (Onee-sama) didn't actually send Lily back in time but trapped her in a never-ending happy dream out of sympathy. She felt the same emptiness Erika felt when the Ignis died because Ylil is inside Erika's soul, therefore, they share a soul. In fact, when she says-**

"You're a very important piece of... _Erika_."

**-Instead of "Erika", she wanted to say "us", but decided not to. After all, if Lily knew there was a Goddess inside her Origin's soul, she would've been too worried for her all the time because that would mean trouble with other potential Gods on Earth.**

**However, Lily might be in a dream, but that dream is based on reality. Therefore, things like Dr. Kogami knowing Ylil, the Star Relics, Kaiba- and all that are true. What's the connection between Dr. Kogami and Overdrive's plot... well, that's a question Overdrive will answer in the future.**

**Dr. Kogami said-**

"She sent you to stop _his_ plan..."

"Must be _his _work..."

**-Which both times concern an unknown mastermind, which will be revealed in Overdrive later on. Since we're talking about the man, you might think he's OOC in the story, but he's just being a good father the anime never showed- maybe during his last moments of life.**

**He's friendly to the Ignis because Lily saved him with Ylil's light and Grim wanted to protect Kioku as much as Dr. Kogami wanted with his family. Moreover, if Lily was chosen by Ylil, that means the Ignis can lead humanity to a good future, unlike what his simulations proved. And he needed the two's help with covering up the Incident.**

**I wanted Dr. Kogami to adopt Kioku and Erika a lot, to show him taking responsibility of his actions, which were starting the Lost Incident and unconsciously cause Mr. and Mrs. Trinitas to kill Kyoya and Suiko, his friends and parents of the twins.**

**Except for Genome, the other Lieutenants showed clear remorse at what they've done and the Ignis stopping Dr. Kogami and the Incident is what made them accept Lily and Kioku as a family. Genome is happy as long as he gets to play with DNA.**

**Grim. You could say he's OOC, but that's not correct: the future-Grim we all know and love hasn't been born yet. This Grim wasn't trapped inside a prison for **_**10**_** years, and had the chance to reunite with Kioku in mere months, therefore his deep hatred towards others hasn't sparked to life. Sure, his lack of confidence was always present, which was shown, but thanks to Lily and Protron he was able to defeat it.**

**As I wrote this AU, I realized Protron was still alive during this period. That made me so happy! I miss that little Monster. ;_;**

**The Incident kids are different from canon. Kioku and Erika have each other and their new family to escape from the darkness and pain, and the other six kids didn't take part in a six-months-long Incident, but just... it wasn't stated in the story... but clearly not **_**so**_** long.**

**Spectre was alright because he's Spectre, Miyu had her sister and Aoi whom she meets in the future and become a Charisma, Windy's partner was fine in the flashbacks showed by the anime, Takeru and Yusaku had their families (which I added to this AU so they can have some happiness to move on), and Jin's life isn't destroyed that badly by the Incident since it lasted much less and Shoichi's there.**

**Takeru starts to make friends in VR until he becomes Soulburner and meets the others. Yusaku and Jin meet the others in IRL at school and move on by becoming friends. ****I made Miyu and Windy's partner inherit their Ignis' names as a tribute and because I think they fit nicely. San Vine Invalid Dolmen is also a tribute, this time for Earth.**

**Since Jeanne didn't become a Charisma because she didn't need to help Kioku later on, her spot was taken by Miyu, therefore this is the new list of Charismas:**

**1\. Go Onizuka**

**2\. Blue Angel**

**3\. Aqua**

**4\. Kisskill**

**5\. Keliphortress**

**6\. Toxin**

**7\. Regalia**

**8\. Kismet**

**9\. Titan**

**10\. Psychic Lord**

**In a match-up between Marincess (which is Aqua's deck) and Trickstar, I believe the latter would win, that's why Blue Angel takes the 2nd spot.**

**Lastly, Cynthia vs. Lily at the end. Since she won't have to become a bounty hunter and Duel Kioku where she'll realize her errors, Lily has to make up for it herself and confront her. In this Duel, Lily would be the one to win since she knows Cynthia's style, therefore starting the young woman's rebirth.**

**There are tons of other things I'd like to write in this AU, but this story follows Lily, so I don't want to detour from its real purpose.**

**Reviews really make my day and it's a great way to communicate with you readers, and maybe find out errors I can avoid making. Please review, and with that said, I'll see you all next time!**


	2. Together, as brothers

**Title: **Together, as brothers.

**Summary:** After his Duel with Playmaker, Bohman and Haru are finally together.

**Ships:** None

**Notes:** This can be read as a standalone.

* * *

Haru doesn't know what's happening outside the Oasis. Doesn't know how much time passed since he's in the Oasis. Doesn't know how many times he's done the same things over and over again with Bohman. Doesn't know how many times he felt _happiness_.

But that's fine.

After his defeat at Playmaker's hands, Bohman used his leftover energy to change what remained of Mirror LINK VRAINS into a new space, isolated from the outside world. He gave the pleasure to Haru at naming this new shelter.

Haru chose Oasis. Simple, yet right to the point. Bohman commented that was so like him.

Their Oasis was divided into three subspaces. The first was a small, duel arena, where they would train with replicas of weapons used by their Monsters or Duel. The second was a small area devoted to their Monsters. Lastly, the third was a very special place where they'd rest from time to time, or just be there with no real cause.

His brother is... great? Cool...? Oh, why's Haru trying to lie and spare the awkwardness- Bohman _is_ amazing. No matter what they did, Haru was never a step above him and he'd always learn from his older brother. Be it swordplay, a Duel, feeding High Drive Monsters, or playing board games.

Haru mastered his Lumen Caster's spellbook by now thanks to Bohman. While he can't defeat the older male- who dual wielded Twin High Drive Knight's swords with top-notch skills, putting even the best to shame- Haru was able to hold his ground. And using spells which allow him to control fire, wind, water, and earth was such a treat, he can't describe it in words.

He cried one time though. His plan was simple: say sorry and hope Bohman won't be angry. But as Haru started talking, saying how he was sorry for hating him all that time in the past, and how Bohman was so nice when he shouldn't, strange feelings made Haru's eyes sting, and before he knew it, he was a crying mess.

Bohman assured his younger brother he wasn't angry at all and helped him calm down with a smile and hug. He said, as brothers, it's wrong to feel hatred towards one another, and they shouldn't hold grudges.

Haru can finally learn what it really means to be brothers, and he has all the time in the world. With Bohman always there, by his side. He- no, _they_ will never be lonely.

"W-Woah!" the smaller male cursed his luck as he slipped on his own water trap, meant to throw his brother off his feet. It seems Bohman caught up on his plan, and used it to his advantage. "Damn it..." Haru muttered as he rubbed his butt, cursing for a second time as he realized he got all wet.

"Here." he looked up, seeing Bohman with an outstretched hand.

"Thanks." Haru took it and stood up with his help.

"In a battle, you have to keep in mind your opponent might figure you out. Thus, you have to expect them using your own plan against you." Bohman explained, carefully choosing his words. "And sorry about the fall."

"Don't worry about it." Haru said. "I should've seen it coming, actually..."

"Let's call it a day." his brother picked up the spellbook which also fell. "We have to feed the others. You can go ahead, Haru."

"OK, Nii-san."

Haru wonders why Bohman added this subspace to their Oasis. Interacting with Duel Monsters like they were actual living beings was cool- especially when Flow takes Haru for a ride in the sky, doing barrel rolls and such- but he hates it when Covered and Coolant almost get into a fight over some water.

Even now, Covered was drinking from the lake in peace when Coolant burst out of the water with an angry snarl. Coolant was the most territorial of them all, and it would always attack anything that enters its lake without permission, including Bohman.

"Covered, what are you doing here at this hour?" Haru said rather loudly in order to catch their attention before either of them could attack. "I already went to the Earth biome, if water's what you want, go back before Grand drinks it all. You know how greedy he is."

He didn't have to repeat himself. Covered left- with a snarl at Coolant- and went to eat his meal. Each High Drive lives in a biome related to their Attribute, but Covered always left the Earth biome to venture into others, the number one being Water to drink from the lake.

"And why are you like this?" Haru turned to Coolant. "One or two gulps won't change that much, and Nii-san can always summon back your water."

He ducked his head in time to dodge a jet of water fired from Coolant, the Link 1 giving a faint snort in response afterwards. That trick worked once but it won't for a second time. And Haru already got wet today, so no thank you.

Coolant finally showed some gratitude once Haru threw fish into its lake, and it dived back down to eat. Haru and Bohman don't have to eat, and the former always wondered how things taste, seeing these Monsters eat human food. If Bohman wonders it too, he didn't know.

But one thing is for sure: Bohman's luck can't be measured.

"I rolled six." Bohman noted as the dice stopped moving. He moved his token six squares, landing _exactly _on a 'Roll Again'. Haru _forced_ to resist the urge to throw the dice into the clouds below them. At least Bohman doesn't get six all the time in Ludo...

They were in the third subspace, the one which belonged to an important memory they shared. On top of the hand of a large statue, which was in the middle of nowhere immersed in an ocean of clouds with the sunset in the distance.

Here, Bohman said they'll be together forever; that time has finally come.

And Haru is _happy_.


	3. Your sadness is mine, too (Part 1)

**Title: **Your sadness is mine, too.

**Summary:** Grim dies. But he wakes up in a new body and different universe. His task is the same, though: shoulder Kioku's sadness.

**Ships:** Earth x Aqua

**Notes:** Part 1/2

* * *

_"Why aren't you helping me...?"_

Grim woke up with a startled gasp, his heart beating hard in his chest to the point of hurting. It took him minutes to regulate his breathing, and many more to fully calm down and return his heartbeat to normal. That male voice which echoed in his sleep...

A headache came to hunt him next. Grim gritted his teeth in pain; first a nightmare- was it a nightmare? Since he woke up like that, it's safe to assume it was- and now a headache. What will be next? Better not jinx it. Grim stopped thinking about voice in the meantime, and the headache immediately vanished.

Strange...

He tried doing it again, and the headache returned. He stopped, and it vanished again. Thinking about the voice makes his head hurt? Huh... it seems there's a connection between the voice and the headache. If that's the case, the voice should be rather important...

He'll figure it out later. Next question: where is he?

His eyes darted everywhere but all he saw was nature; tall trees over his head which only let few sunrays pass between their leaves, flowers and bushes here and there on green grass, colorful butterflies fluttering about, birds and squirrels on branches minding their own business... It was quite beautiful, actually. Back in...

Back in...

Back where?

The headache returned. Grim cursed his luck; this wasn't where he was before... he used to live elsewhere... with less nature around him... but where? And he wasn't here the last time he went to sleep! But... where? Somewhere more important... a mirror? No, that doesn't make sense...

So many questions and his headache isn't helping. Not just the voice- which was also familiar- but everything prior to this moment was connected to his headache. Grim might have amnesia... wonderful, isn't that just electric.

He _will _return to this matter later. For now, he has to find shelter and food before nighttime. Judging by the humidity and warmth in the air, it must be summer, and the sunrays travel vertically, so it must be afternoon. He should have enough time to search.

He stood up with a grunt, finding it hard due to an unknown pull from his back. Grim peered, seeing two wings and a tail.

Um...

He didn't have those before, right? The hunting-headache soon confirmed his thoughts; this wasn't his body, either. He was someone else in the past, but he didn't know who.

Luckily his tail provided a great third leg, helping him balance out and not fall backwards. Those wings weight more than he thought at first glance... Anyway, time to-

The trees around him suddenly rustled, and like ninjas, four individuals leaped out of the trees and landed around him in a square-formation, pointing their sharp swords at his neck. OK... that didn't go as he planned at all.

Moreover, these individuals were familiar to him. They were identical to each other: tall and teal-skinned, male elves wearing black bodysuits, gauntlets, cloaks divided into five segments and styled to resemble leaves, green helmets with amber visors, and blade sheaths tied to their backs. Grim saw them before... during a... D... Due-

He closed his right eye to try and stop the headache, but in vain.

"My, my, what do we have here?" the elves didn't move one inch at the new voice, prompting Grim to think they were a team. Walking out with a grin from a tree's shadow was a fair-skinned, male elf- a teen, Grim deduced by his looks- with teal eyes, gray hair swept across his right cheek, wore a similar suit to his comrades but white with black highlights and yellow gauntlets, and a sheathed sword- smaller than theirs, though- on his back and a dagger on his left hip.

The mischief in those eyes and that- almost- crazy-like grin... Very familiar. Just where did Grim end up being?

"Not the talkative type, are we?" the teen elf asked with a gesture of his hand towards Grim. His moves were elegant and carefully scripted, Grim noted, especially when he took the dagger and pressed its blade to his neck with a scowl. "But you'd rather not force my hand, it won't end well for you. What are you doing here?"

He moved the dagger to his neck, raising Grim by his chin. "According to our eyewitnesses, you appeared by thin air. Did you use the shadows to get here, Possible-Shadow-dragon-_san_?"

"I did not." he stated. He wanted to raise his hands in defeat, but the blades just pressed closer to his neck, so he decided not to do that. "I don't know how I got here myself. I... don't remember anything."

The teen elf raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember? Were you sleepwalking?" he gave a smirk to his own joke before standing back, placing his dagger back into its sheath. "Get him ready, we're taking him with us."

One of the elves moved its blade across his neck, making an almost nonexistent cut. However, Grim could feel his vision going fuzzy and his body losing strength. _Great._

"Don't worry." the teen elf's voice came as two elves took hold of his arms. "You'll go to sleep because of our mixed herbs on the blade. We'll talk when you're back, so until then, have good dreams."

The last thing he saw was the teen elf's grin.

_..._

When Grim came back to his senses, he was being escorted in what seemed to be a cave with glowing crystals jutting from its walls and water dripping from its ceiling. Grim couldn't move his body yet, only eyes and mouth, and the elves surely wouldn't let him even if he could.

"Hoh, you woke up." the teen elf spoke up. Grim glanced at him, meeting his teal eyes and smirk. He glanced back to the path in front of them, leading the other elves. "Right on point, actually. Bummer, I wanted to submerge your head into the water to wake you up. Oh well."

"Where are we?" Grim asked.

"That doesn't concern you for now." was all he got back.

Moments later, they reached the end of the cave where an open area with a spring was. The hole in the ceiling allowed sunrays to enter and illuminate the clean water in the spring. Creeping plants and crystals decorated the walls, and there was one big rock in the spring's middle where two figures sat.

One was a golem-like entity made of rocks. Orange markings adorned its blocky body and two blue squares glowed on its 'head', more than probably those were its eyes. Its square head extended into broad shoulders and its elbows, knees, hips, and ankles all bulged with hexagonal shapes.

The second was a beautiful, young graceful woman with fair skin, pink eyes, light blue hair with dark blue highlights and tied into inverted, teardrop-shaped 'pigtails', and had a blue teardrop tattoo over her left cheek. Her chest and hips were pronounced and covered by an elegant light and dark blue dress, and she wore a necklace with a heart-shaped crystal.

The golem had a hand around the woman's left hip, prompting the two to be very close. In fact, the woman rested her head on the golem's chest with a smile, the two enjoying their silence.

"Ahem." the teen elf coughed, catching their attention. "Are we _interrupting _something?"

The woman's eyes widen in surprise, quickly jumping off the rock with a blush. The golem, on the other hand, showed no discomfort.

"Not at all." it said with a male voice. "We were basking in silence."

"Earth..." the woman whispered exasperate, trying to hide her blush with a hand.

"OK, he did not get the joke..." the teen elf murmured, displeased. He coughed again, then gestured to Grim. "Aqua, I'd like your powers for a moment here. Don't worry; I'll let you two return to your intimate moment once we're done."

"Intimate?" Earth's eyebrows furrowed.

"How kind of you, Spectre." Aqua's right eye twitched at Spectre's grin. She then turned to Grim, confused. "May I know your name?"

That's probably the only thing he remembers. "It's Grim."

"Grim, what's your business to attend to in our forest?"

"I'm sorry. As I explained to your comrades," Grim explained to Aqua. "Apart from my name, I can't recall anything else..."

There was a moment of silence, Spectre and Earth staring at Aqua for an answer.

"He's speaking the truth." she finally said. "I don't sense any malice from his soul." she walked up to the shore with Earth, causing the water to move by their steps. Aqua placed a finger to Grim's forehead, and her eyes glowed faintly for a second. "...I can't sense any magic covering his real emotions or my powers, either. We can trust him."

"He has amnesia?" Earth wondered aloud.

"However," Spectre started, not sounding sure of Aqua's idea to trust Grim. "Why would he be here in the first place? He entered the forest bypassing our security and out of nowhere has amnesia? Something's fishy."

"But there are no fish in this spring." Earth remarked.

"That's the point." Spectre said.

"Did he have anything? Potions? Weapons?" Aqua asked, and Spectre shook his head. "Have you considered this might be a God's doing?"

"A God...? No, I haven't." Spectre admitted, his eyes now narrowed. He then frowned. "But why here and like this?"

"Gods aren't like us. They see a bigger picture." Aqua told. "And it's up to them how to paint the picture."

That was an interesting and beautiful way of putting it, Grim thought.

"Hmm... Fine." Spectre shrugged. "Thanks for your assistance, Aqua. Off we go!" the elves holding Grim turned to leave, and he heard the teen elf say one more thing. "Have a nice intimacy, you two!"

There was a splash of water behind them, Spectre's laugh, and Earth's genuine 'Thank you.' Aqua probably tried to hit Spectre with water, but ultimately failed. Grim deduced Aqua and Earth are in a relationship and Spectre enjoyed to tease them, much to the woman's annoyance.

"Since you'll be sticking around, I'll lead you to your new, private quarters." Spectre's voice came from behind. "However..." a hand grabbed Grim's face by his cheeks, turning his head towards Spectre and his smile. "I hope you won't cause any trouble to our sacred grounds, Grim. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear." Grim nodded, finding the strength to move his head. This Spectre might not look like much, but he could feel a dangerous force hidden beneath that smile. Better not be his enemy.

"That's good to hear." the smile turned into a grin.

They exited the cave, entering a natural path which leads to three different locations, four including the cave. One lead towards a large forest- probably where Grim found himself when he woke up- and another lead to an open land planted with crops and working elves. He didn't get the chance to examine further as the elves took him into a wooden structure on the third path.

This was their headquarters, judging by its size and decorated inside. They passed numerous doors and staircases before halting in a corridor. Spectre opened a door and a wooden room met Grim's eyes; it had a bed, a table with two chairs, a square hole in a wall- surely a window-, and a closed door which probably lead to a bathroom.

"You'll stay here until the herbs' effect wears off." Spectre said as Grim was deposited on a chair. With a wave of his hand, the teen elf dismissed the other elves, who left with a bow to him. "You can't stand before my Mother with a half-asleep body."

"Is your Mother the principal, then?" Grim asked, flexing his fingers. It shouldn't take long until he can walk again.

"That's right. You're smarter than you look." Spectre mused, staring out of the window. He then turned to Grim. "So? I take it you have some questions I'd have to answer now."

He slowly nodded. "You're an elf, right? Like those other four."

"I thought it was obvious." Spectre pointed at his ears before taking the other chair. "But yes, we're elves. The people of the San Nation are elves."

"That raises two new questions. Earth and Aqua, right? They're not elves. What are they?"

"Well, now you're talkative." Spectre smirked, resting his head in a palm. "Earth is a golem, while Aqua is a nymph."

Interesting... "Your mother; is she an elf, too?"

"Wow, you really forgot everything..." teal eyes widen a little. "You don't even know what the San Nation is. In any case, no, my Mother isn't an elf. She's a tree."

Grim would've fallen from his chair if he had control of it. "A... tree... you say?"

Spectre gave an exasperated sigh, almost annoyed by the question. "Yes, a _tree_. The people of the San Nation have one Mother in common, which is- well- my Mother. There are other important figures in the Nation, who are all trees. The elves are the warriors and children of the Nation. Without one another, we cannot exist."

"Oh... I see." Grim said. "But where do Earth and Aqua come into play...?"

"I created Earth for the fun of it, I never could've expected he'll become Aqua's boyfriend." Spectre admitted. "Aqua, on the other hand, controls the forest's waters. She animates and maintains this place for us. Without a nymph, the Nation wouldn't exist. Not for nothing, this is the only San Nation on this planet."

"Ah... This Nation isn't that old, then." Aqua looked like she was in her twenties and Spectre sixteen. But Grim blinked as he heard a snicker from the teen elf.

"Don't think like a silly human. Age or looks are irrelevant when magic is involved. The San Nation was born the moment this planet was born. The Mother lives one thousand years before she dies and a new one takes her place, thus repeating the circle for eternity. Every Mother gives birth to her people, out of which one is her Prince," Spectre pointed at himself. "In this case, that would be me."

"I'm sorry for that misinterpretation." Grim grunted as he found the strength in his legs. "Then Aqua is..."

"Nymphs aren't immortal, therefore, they give birth to a new one before they die which takes the current one's place," Spectre explained. "Aqua's predecessor was Sugisaki Miyu and she was born years after my Mother. Aqua's 589-years-old."

Grim's mouth fell open in shock.

"Of course, you're wondering about the others. I'm 442, Earth's 344, and my Mother's 642. We age and change very differently from humans. You dragons, too. You may be in your twenties, but you're actually more than 500-years-old."

That's enlightening... "Speaking about me, you continue mentioning I'm a dragon. Could you tell me more?"

Spectre stood up and started walking around the room, inspecting the wood. "Dragons are feared by every sentient being, including their brethren. A single Wingless or Wyvern- which are considered the weakest type of dragons- can kill half an army. That's why, us, creatures of Nature, try to stay as far as possible from them or make alliances."

He reached the window and stopped. Spectre stared at the now orange sky before continuing. "But those silly humans... they hunt, capture and kill or control dragons for their own profit. The San Nation was accustomed to two dragons that lived on top of that mountain." he pointed to the outside, and Grim saw a tall mountain in the distance, clouds around its tip. "They were friendly and protected our sacred grounds. However... one day, during a patrol, humans attacked them and successfully killed them."

"Oh..." was all Grim could say.

"Those two dragons had twin children. They were caught in the crossfire, too." Spectre said. "Only one survived and lived alone on that mountain ever since. During random nights, you can hear his pained roar echo in the distance. He refuses to speak a word and attacks anyone who approaches him. Each day, my Mother sends baskets with food for him to eat, and the baskets are always empty. We assume that, before his parents died, they told him to trust the San Nation or sorts."

"So he isn't a threat to the Nation, either." Grim realized. That's why he's still alive; they see no reason to battle him and make a new enemy. "Who is he?"

"I heard the Elders call him Ketsueki Kioku."

_Ba-Dum_

Why did his heart suddenly skip a beat...? Grim placed a hand over his chest with a frown. That name... Kioku... Spectre, Earth, and Aqua were all familiar names, too, but Kioku... it was different.

"Are you listening?" Grim was snapped back to reality by Spectre's voice.

"S-Sorry, I spaced out." he apologized. "You were saying?"

"I said get ready. You'll meet my Mother and then we'll have dinner. You can't stand before her like that, can you." Spectre gestured to the bed, where a T-shirt, pants, and bracelet with a green stone was. "You may wear those. That bracelet allows you to maintain your clothes after you shift, so you won't continuously need a new pair."

...Wait... Did he say... 'You can't stand before her like that, can you'? That means...

Grim looked up and wished he didn't. Yes, he was indeed naked. He has been for ALL this time! And where... why is there a line where his... his private parts should be!?

"Ah, I take it you don't know Dragon Anatomy." Spectre mused, prompting Grim to involuntarily growl at him. The teen elf held up his hands in defeat. "I wasn't poking this time. Unlike humans or elves, male dragons store their genitals in a sheath. I don't know much else, so you'll have to make your own researches at our library. But look on the bright side: since your genitals weren't _technically _out the entire time, you weren't _totally _naked."

"Alright, I get it." Grim muttered. "Would you mind leaving so I can save my remaining pride?"

"By all means." Spectre smirked. He exited the room and closed the door behind him. "But be quick!"

"Yeah, yeah." Grim groaned. It was easy to understand Spectre likes to troll others; he won't hear the end of it. With a damaged pride, Grim went to the bathroom with his new clothes, finding a mirror there. Perfect; a mirror will be of great help to adjust his clothes due to his wings and tail.

He finally got to see his reflection, too. Like Spectre said, he appeared as a twenty-year-old male with fair skin, short gray hair and spiky bangs over his forehead, which had small dark red triangle-shaped highlights, an amber and sapphire left and right eye respectively and slitted pupils. Gray scales crept over his cheeks, neck, torso, arms, knuckles, groin, and legs, and his feet had three, dark red, clawed toes. He then had a tail and two wings, which had dark red membranes.

Time to suit up. The pants had a hole right above his butt, so he slid his tail into it. They didn't threaten to fall off, so Grim moved on. The shirt had two holes in its back, and with some difficulties, he figured out how to close his wings and slid them in. Lastly, he tied the bracelet around his left wrist. Everything suited him just fine.

While Spectre lead him through the corridors, Grim spoke up.

"Was it a coincidence you had clothes for dragons?"

"Nope." he shook his head. "We have a dragon that works for us, Kogami Ryoken. Luckily, your size is identical to his even if you aren't the same 'human' age. Well, Ryoken is tall, maybe that's why."

"Is he here?" meeting another dragon should be useful to learn more about himself.

"No, Ryoken is currently away on a mission. He'll return in a couple of days." Spectre stated. They stopped in front of an ornate, large, wooden double door. "I hope you'll behave. I don't want to embarrass myself for bringing a vile dragon here."

Which means his Mother is behind these doors. "Of course." Grim said.

Spectre flashed him a grin. "Splendid." he nudged the doors opened, revealing a throne-like room.

Chandelier with candles hang from the ceiling, lighting the room. A red carpet guided Grim and Spectre to the room's other side, the elves with swords standing in a row at the carpet's outline. Two, humanoid beings clad in sturdy armor and shield-shaped gauntlets stood at the bottom of stairs, which lead to three trees.

The tree on the left was an oak tree with red leaves, two branches traveled towards the ground and had hand-shaped ends, and the face of a pale-skinned, elf woman was visible between its trunk. The right tree had mint-colored wood, some green leaves, the face of a pale-skinned, elf woman in its trunk, and two branches with hand-shaped ends.

The center tree towered over everything. Unlike the other two, human-sized fruits hang from her branches, the elf woman in its trunk was more prominent and had long, black hair and three, crimson eyes. Her warm smile widen upon seeing her Prince.

"Spectre," she started.

"Mother." the teen elf gave a quick bow. "This afternoon, we found this dragon in the forest." he gestured to Grim to inch closer, which he did. "He somehow bypassed our security. When we interrogated him, he stated that, apart from his name, he remembers nothing. We took him to Aqua, who confirmed he's speaking the truth."

"An unknown? In our forest?" the oak tree spoke. "That's beyond hazardous. What if he means ill to our people? As an Elder, it's my duty to safeguard our people and sacred grounds."

"As a Prince, I feel the same." Grim was surprised; he never thought Spectre could be _this _serious and polite. "I trust Aqua's abilities. According to her, she couldn't sense any magic covering this dragon's real emotions or her powers."

"Your verdict on the matter, Prince?" the mint-colored tree asked.

"We always send Kogami Ryoken on missions, this dragon can help our garden or defend our sacred grounds if humans attack it." Spectre told. "Or... from other dragons as well. This dragon may come in handy when time requires crude measures."

"However, if he has amnesia," the mint-colored tree started. "That means his powers are unknown to himself. Isn't that right?"

Her eyes traveled from Spectre to Grim, who felt a shiver ran down his spine.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied.

"He shows comity, but a dragon with no powers is like nature without water or a sun." the oak tree said. "No growth, no development, no survival."

"Patience, my sisters." the Mother spoke. "Kogami Ryoken will prove of excellent aid for this dragon to discover his own powers, limits, and possibilities. Like Spectre said, a second dragon will help this Nation maintain its peace."

"I'll accept this wild card at one condition." the oak tree said. "Put him under strict surveillance."

"I concur." the mint-colored tree said. "If this dragon happens to be a spy or malefactor, we'll immediately know."

"Yes, that's a good point I agree on as well." the Mother nodded. "Of course, if he desires our hospitality and help."

Their eyes turned to Grim again.

"I have no other choice." he stated. He doesn't know the outside world nor his powers; by accepting, he can learn and obtain a shelter. And... Kioku... he wants to learn more about that dragon. Since he lives in a mountain which is in the middle of this forest, he has to accept. "Thank you, for taking me in."

"As the Mother of the San Nation, I welcome you." she smiled. "But before you leave for dinner, we'd like to discover what type of dragon are you."

As if on cue, an elf walked up to Grim from the line, holding a wooden plank, which had a small knife and bowl filled with water on it.

"I take it you need my blood for this." Grim said, taking the knife. When Spectre nodded, the dragon made a cut on his index finger. He let one drop of his blood fall into the water, which immediately turned violet.

"Oh my." Spectre gave an excited smirk.

"This is..." the oak tree muttered.

"A Chaos Dragon." the mint-colored tree finished, equally shocked.

"This is the first time I see one in person." the Mother remarked, still smiling. "What's your name?"

"It's Grim."

"I see... That's a nice name. You and Spectre may leave and have dinner."

As they walked to the dining room, Grim inspected his cut. It already healed. "You were all shocked by the reveal. A Chaos Dragon... I take it it's a rare sight and type of dragon."

"Yes. One of the rarest and most powerful, actually." Spectre admitted. "Grim, I know the Elders and my Mother like the back of my hand; if you show positive results, they'll accept you without a second beat. For now, know that eyes are on you every second of day and night."

Grim nodded. "There's one thing I'd like to know. Aqua's abilities... what are they, if I may know? She and you mentioned them various times."

"The ability to see one's soul and distinguish between lies and truth." Spectre almost narrated. "That's Aqua's abilities. You should thank her; if she couldn't do that, we'd have no evidence you speak the truth, thus you'd be dead by now."

"I'll make sure to remember that."

* * *

**Thanks for all your reviews of the last chapters.**

**\- In response to **_**HunterHQ**_**'s review:**

"I honestly forgot about them, but that's not a problem. That AU was more from a Haru-perspective, and there would be no reason for him to think about the Ignis. He'd be more concerned about spending time with Bohman."

**\- In response to **_**animegamefanatic**_**'s review:**

"Yes and depends. Kioku did become friends with Yusaku, and if he befriends Aoi, the two would meet at a given time. But since this wasn't stated by Lily, as the readers we don't know if it happened."

* * *

**This story is taking SO long to write! That's why I decided to cut it into two; don't get me wrong, I LOVE writing this AU (creating the San Nation, types of dragons with other writers' help, and all that was very exciting), but it's taking so long to finish in my opinion. Well, this would have been my longest chapter with no Duels in it...**

**The people and trees of the San Nation will be explained more in detail in the next part. Fun fact: Aqua's dress is actually Marincess Great Bubble Reef's. That said, I'll see you all in the second part of Grim's tribute!**

**Reviews really make my day and it's a great way to communicate with you readers, and maybe find out errors I can avoid making. Please review, and with that said, I'll see you all next time!**


	4. Divine Colloquy

**Title: **Divine Colloquy

**Summary:** Bohman doesn't free Kioku/Bloody Talker from Lightning's cell, so it's up to Grim to save his Origin for once.

**Ships:** N/A

**Notes:** I was supposed to continue "Your sadness is mine, too." but then this happened. There's a paraphrase in the A/N at the bottom of the chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, its characters, this chapter's external quotes, and the Divine Comedy. But I do own this AU, its OCs and its special version of the Divine Comedy's first Canto of the Inferno.

* * *

Grim realized a long time ago he's just a supporting character in his Origin's story.

He wasn't supposed to do anything grandiose and heroic like Achilles—No, Grim had one job.

One, o so simple job: **aid his Origin** as the great Chiron would to Achilles in the _Achilleid_.

That's why he refused to enter someone's Duel Disk and just watch from the sidelines battles unfold.

That's why he upgraded his deck before coming to this Mirror World.

That's why he chose to _fight and save _his Origin _for once_.

And that's why he found a certain sense of irony when Lightning appeared to Duel him. The evil Ignis- who was supposed to embody light, which is gentle and warm- isolated all of his opponents from each other and he planned to execute them one-by-one. Lightning's no light—he's a mad tyrant.

"It pains me to see what was devised to be humanity's successor act in a manner like yours, Grim." Lightning shook his head in exasperation. "But not just you: Ai, Aqua, Flame, and Lily, too. We could be so much more—no, we _were_ designed to be much more, but error codes like you blandly chose to discard a prosperous future."

"We made that choice because we realized an important thing." Grim barked out, baring his fangs like a wild animal. "I won't deny this: the Ignis are powerful. We alone can work wonders. But it's when we're united we're truly unstoppable! With our Origins, that is."

"You became too attached to humans." Lightning said through an exhale. "Please, tell me, where has this opinion of yours lead you so far?" he abruptly snorted, as if his own words amused him. "No, no, don't answer! What a stupid question from my part, I apologize. The sole fact you're standing here today gives away the answer. What do you believe will go differently this time unlike when you tried to save Bloody Talker from the Trinitas siblings?"

"Many things." Grim remarked. "But honestly, answering you gives me no satisfaction. You have a silver tongue, you twist my own words and past against me—you're _caenum _through and through."

"You dare call me caenum, Grim?" Lightning's right eyebrow twitched. "An error code of your level...!? I'm correcting a previous statement I made! You didn't become attached to humans, you became _one_." his eyes curved into a grin. "Hah, laughable. No wonder you're so presumptuous!"

"You're one to talk." Grim spat. "Humans of _your _level get so easily riled up."

"Anger and devotion are two different things!" Lightning roared, getting impatient. "For you to call me, an Ignis, a human is a blaspheme! Ignorant peasants like yourself are the reason why humanity never walks on the right path! But fear not!" he grinned again. "The raison d'être of us non-error code Ignis is to surpass you! You're just an ugly stain on a beautiful canvas!"

"The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny." Grim scoffed. "Your cannon fodders were a good warm-up. It's time for the real deal. Do you concur, your _majesty_?"

"Yes, I do. It's time for you to accept my divine judgment." Lightning said. "In the course of the journey of your miserable life..."

"I found myself at the feet of a dictator." Grim continued.

Lightning grinned. "For the straightforward pathway to your future has been lost."

"How hard a thing it is to say."

"My palace is savage, rough, and stern."

"Which in the very thought renews the will to defeat thee."

"But so empyrean it is, death is little more."

"But of the triumph to treat, which there I achieved."

"Speak will you of the things you did there." Lightning said and folded his arms.

"I can well repeat how there I ended." Grim glared.

"So full were you of grief at that moment."

"In which I had found the true way."

"At the cost of reaching an interior humanity."

"But where a new horizon begun."

"Which had signaled your doom." Lightning laughed.

"I beheld its infiniteness, instead." Grim remarked.

"Beheld in unison with a human."

"Who leadeth others down their right roads."

"His heart is fear-drowned."

"That in his heart's lake had endured throughout."

"The years, which you had passed so piteously."

"Even then, with forward-pushing breath."

"That forth issued more distress."

"Which turns pity to esteem."

"You non-accepting souls still flee!" Lightning glared.

"Turn back to re-behold the pass." Grim told.

"Never have your souls left the pass."

"As wisdom, love and virtue it holds."

"Virgilius' sapience? Beatrice's beauty? Neither. Of that low world shall I be the saviour."

"Thou will be stopped. A playmaker and a gunslinger command the roots of life, the vengeful sea's old one and princess, the indomitable soul dream, and my fangs!"

"My eternal light commands a self-proclaimed king, the playful winds of hatred, and a future god! I shalt hear your desperate lamentations!"

"An Emperor tries to reign above, but the non-accepting souls still rebel!"

"I shalt shine everywhere! My power becomes the truth! The world is my lofty throne!"

"My fangs dark, blood shalt tint them! A horse of wood guards the moon!"

"I run on, behind me followed an army, Moirai with us!"

"**DUEL!**" they bellowed in unison...

* * *

_"In the course of the journey of your miserable life..."_ \- Lightning's referring to Grim in this opening sentence. Instead of using Dante's [Midway upon], Lightning chooses to say [In the course] to highlight the fact Grim's journey is at an undetailed point (which could very well be its final moments). [miserable] is used to provoke his opponent.

_"I found myself at the feet of a dictator." _\- Grim here mentions Lightning by calling him a [dictator]. Notably, he states he was once defeated by Lightning by saying [I found myself at the feet], which is a callback to his loss at Agrat's and Bohman's hands (in which case w/his Origin).

_"__For the straightforward pathway to your future has been lost." _\- Lightning points out, once again, Grim (who's an Ignis) didn't accept his raison d'être as humanity's successor by saying [pathway to your future has been lost].

_"How hard a thing it is to say." _\- Grim debates about what Lightning just said, saying it's hard to say that's the truth because he (and others) never believed in that raison d'être.

_"My palace is savage, rough, and stern." _\- [My palace] is the Mirror World and it's [savage] because strong Duelists oppose Grim and the others, [rough] because Lightning's squad isn't your average hit-and-run team, [stern] because Lightning's squad is difficult to defeat.

_"Which in the very thought renews the will to defeat thee." _\- Grim states no matter how strong Lightning and the others may be, the will to defeat them never falters.

_"But so empyrean it is, death is little more." _\- [it] refers to the Mirror World. Lightning says his world is so sacred and powerful even death pales in comparison.

_"But of the triumph to treat, which there I achieved." _\- the correct translation of this segment would be "But let's speak of the triumph I achieved there", obviously [there] refers to the Mirror World. Grim wants to take a minute and talk about his future victory (since it didn't happen yet) he would achieve.

_"Speak will you of the things you did there." _\- Lightning spurs Grim to continue, wanting to know what the DARK Ignis did in the Mirror World (to achieve hypothetical victory).

"_I can well repeat how there I ended." _\- Grim says he can explain very well how he ended up in the Mirror World (he went there to save his Origin).

_"So full were you of grief at that moment." _\- Lightning taunts Grim of his bond with Kioku/BT, stating it was grief (of losing his Origin) that drove him there.

_"In which I had found the true way." _\- Grim states it's in those agonizing moments of [grief] where he found his [true way] as in raison d'être (which is to aid his Origin).

_"At the cost of reaching an interior humanity." _\- by deciding to aid his Origin, Lightning blames Grim of [reaching an interior humanity] as in "becoming a human in the inside", therefore weak.

_"But where a new horizon begun." _\- after becoming a human as Lightning stated, Grim found a new horizon, his possibilities expanded. [horizon] is also a reference to his and Kioku/BT's Skill, Cyberse Horizon.

_"Which had signaled your doom." _\- Lightning taunts Grim by saying his new horizon nailed his own coffin.

_"I beheld its infiniteness, instead." _\- Grim debates about what Lightning just said, saying his new horizon didn't signal his doom but made him stronger as he [beheld its infiniteness].

_"Beheld in unison with a human." _\- the [human] Lightning's referring to is Kioku/BT. The LIGHT Ignis' aim was to taunt his opponent: since Grim beheld a new horizon with a human, he's weak.

_"Who leadeth others down their right roads." _\- Grim remarks by saying Kioku/BT lead many others down their right paths, helping them become stronger. Thus he negates what Lightning said.

_"His heart is fear-drowned." _\- another insult towards Kioku/BT from Lightning's part. Here he says the youth's heart is filled with fear (of the Lost Incident).

_"That in his heart's lake had endured throughout." _\- Grim doesn't negate what Lightning said, but he points out his Origin was able to endure that fear, consequently making him stronger.

_"The years, which you had passed so piteously." _\- Lightning's referring to both Grim and his Origin this time, saying the years they lived were pathetic and pitiful.

_"Even then, with forward-pushing breath." _\- Grim says they lived their lives with [forward-pushing breath] as in "always pushing forward and never faltering".

_"That forth issued more distress." _\- Lightning doesn't negate what Grim said, but he remarks that [forward-pushing breath] brought forth more distress to their lives.

_"Which turns pity to esteem." _\- not only does Grim negate what Lightning said, but he used his own words against him, making a reference to Lightning's [_"The years, which you had passed so piteously"_]. Grim states distress turns their pathetic and pitiful lives into valuable ones, making them stronger.

_"You non-accepting souls still flee!" _\- the reason Lightning got angry is due to Grim's earlier words. The [non-accepting souls] belong to those who don't accept Lightning's ideal and flee from them.

_"Turn back to re-behold the pass." _\- Grim continues by saying those [non-accepting souls] turn back to look at the [pass] as in past, and learn tyranny never took humanity far.

_"Never have your souls left the pass." _\- Lightning remarks the [non-accepting souls] can't let go of their past in order to become something else.

_"As wisdom, love and virtue it holds." _\- Grim states they can't let go of the past since it holds positive aspects.

_"Virgilius' sapience? Beatrice's beauty? Neither. Of that low world shall I be the saviour." _\- in the Divine Comedy, Dante has two guides: Virgilius and Beatrice. Lightning states neither will be a guide again, so it's up to him to become humanity's and the Ignis' savior (which are identified with [that low world], [low] since they're inferior to Lightning).

_"Thou will be stopped. A playmaker and a gunslinger command the roots of life, the vengeful sea's old one and princess, the indomitable soul dream, and my fangs!" _\- Grim declares Lightning will be stopped by Playmaker (the [playmaker]) and Revolver (the [gunslinger]) who're leading Spectre (the [roots of life] as he uses a Plant deck), Mizumi (the [vengeful sea's old one], a reference to her "Old One's" archetype) and Aoi (the [princess], a reference to her deck's theme) who want to save Miyu, Takeru (the [indomitable soul dream], a reference to Flame's name's etymology), and Grim's [fangs].

_"My eternal light commands a self-proclaimed king, the playful winds of hatred, and a future god! I shalt hear your desperate lamentations!"_ \- using Armatos Legio Legatus Legionis' chant to address himself, Lightning states he commands King (the [self-proclaimed king]), Windy (the [playful winds of hatred], adjectives that describe the WIND Ignis' personality), and Bohman (who'll become a [future god] when be absorbs all Attributes). Lightning also declares his team will defeat the enemy, and he'll listen to their cries.

_"An Emperor tries to reign above, but the non-accepting souls still rebel!" _\- Lightning, the [Emperor], tries to rule by force, but the [non-accepting souls] [rebel] against him.

_"I shalt shine everywhere! My power becomes the truth! The world is my lofty throne!" _\- once again, Lightning uses Legatus Legionis' chant to make his point. He will [shine] as in rule [everywhere] as in everything.

_"My fangs dark, blood shalt tint them! A horse of wood guards the moon!" _\- Grim's Attribute is DARK, hence why his fangs are [dark]. [blood] is a reference to his ace monster, Creeping Blood Dragon. [A horse of wood] is a reference to the Trojan Horse, and if it [guards the moon], that means it's nighttime in Troy. The Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army at night, destroying Troy; if the ancient city embodies the Mirror World, Grim just declared it will be destroyed.

_"I run on, behind me followed an army, Moirai with us!" _\- since the Greek army is attacking, Lightning storms into the battlefield followed by his own army. This scenario is similar to the current situation in the Mirror World. In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Moirai were the white-robed incarnations of destiny; Lightning thus states destiny's on his side (since Troy was successfully destroyed in the past).


	5. Entangled Opposites

**Title: **Entangled Opposites

**Summary:** Ylil and Mirg meet for the first time at the dawn of adulthood.

**Ships:** N/A

**Notes:** After this chapter, I think it's safe to presume the Twin Gods are my favorite characters to write...

* * *

_What does it mean to be polar opposites?_

_It's rather simple, actually. It is an idiom, often used to describe people and ideas that are complete opposites. For instance, light and darkness are polar opposites; they're two sides of the same coin._

_Everything in life has an equal opposite, and it may or may not lead to conflict._

_Light and darkness have been keeping each other in check to maintain a universal balance since the beginning of time. Many have tried but failed to disrupt this balance, and we should bask in joy that's the case; if the balance vanishes, freedom is no more._

_Ylil and Mirg have never understood why they were so intrigued of one another: always asking their ancestors what the other looked like, what they enjoyed, what powers they possessed..._

_But when they first met at the dawn of adulthood, they finally understood why._

The awaited day has arrived! The Twin Gods, who were cursed to die if they ever interact with each other before adulthood, could finally reunite! May this day be remembered!

On Earth (the only realm where the Twin Gods could meet in private without breaking a taboo, after all, darkness in Heaven or light in Hell wasn't well looked upon), in the center of an open field where prying eyes couldn't reach, a couple of meters apart from each other, two pillars of flames ignited, one gold and one purple.

A figure emerged from each pillar, then the flames dissipated. Ylil's angelic wings were coiled around her body, hiding her appearance from the world; Mirg was doing the same with his larger, demonic wings.

He knew he was feared by the mortal realm: the earth quivered with each of his breaths, the wind was anxious and cold on his skin, and the grass and flowers leaned away in a pathetic attempt to escape his presence. He didn't mind, he was used to it by now; he spent his childhood on Earth and even the infernal realm feared him, however the latter in respect.

Ylil had to suppress a giggle at the mortal realm's love: the earth was warm under her bare feet, content with her presence, the wind ruffled her feathers in a playful manner akin of an eager child, and the grass and flowers leaned towards her, wanting to touch her, better yet, to worship her. May their 8th great-grandmother, Gaia, be blessed.

The long silence that formed between them was slain by Ylil. "At long last," she started with a smile. "The wait has come to an end. To have the opportunity to meet you swells my heart with happiness, Onii-sama."

"I feel the same, Onee-sama." Mirg simply but genuinely replied. This is the first time he felt such a deep sense of contentment in his life. Happiness, huh...? How strange human emotions are. "Shall we begin?"

Ylil hummed in agreement. Their grandmother, Aphrodite, trained them over the past years for this event. They shall begin with an introduction, then they'll reveal themselves. "And ladies first!", she would always remind them.

"From the great Heavens I descend, bearing eternal light," Ylil chanted. Her smile widened as Earth's love intensified. "My beauty is a warm embrace, my hope dispels pain, my miracles bring salvation. More vividly, more intensively, I shine, and accept all."

"I ascend from the world of the dead, bearing jet-black darkness," Mirg continued, and Earth's fear intensified. "My name, hear it, remember it, and fear it. Bow thy head to the ground and praise, for I am the herald of the everlasting night."

In unison, they revealed themselves and folded their wings against their backs. Everything fell silent, including Earth. Then they stared at each other, both flabbergasted.

Ylil's head slowly tilted to the side: Mirg was a nine feet tall, muscular, anthropomorphic dragon with two feet of black horns that sprouted from his long mane of blond hair. His skin was a deep purple and behind him a long, spike tail flicked. He was wearing a silver breastplate, cuisses, and an ornate cuff on his right wrist and he left his tattooed arms exposed. His eyes were a luscious gold with slit pupils, and when his lips parted, she saw fangs.

Mirg was at a loss of words; their grandmother was the epitome of beauty, but Ylil... he dares say she exceeded her. Ylil was a seven feet tall, fair-skinned woman with a slender yet curvy bewitching figure and snow tiger ears that sprouted from her short platinum hair, which was similar to a pixie cut. She was wearing a peacock-themed gown and had a golden cuff adorned with diamonds on her right wrist. Her vibrant blue eyes were strengthened by the kohl around them.

This wasn't the first time Mirg came face to face with a holy creature or a god, but Ylil...she was different from any of them.

The god of darkness fell to his knees, earning a surprised gasp from his sister, and bowed his head.

How...how _dare_ he stand with his head high? His sorcery was acknowledged by the Hierophant of Prophecy himself, he's the pupil of the greatest Different Dimension Daemons, and he's the son of a goddess who once saved humanity—but no living creature was worthy enough to stand before Ylil, no matter their titles.

Moreover, Mirg was ashamed of himself: his answer was too simple, too insouciant! Then he asked if they could introduce themselves, insinuating Ylil wasn't worthy of his time.

"Onii-sama...?"

"I humbly apologize for my insolence."

"You've done nothing to insult me." Ylil's kind smile returned. "I don't know what grandmother taught you, but there's no need to act so humbly around me, especially since we're brother and sister."

"Your kindness honors me. But I cannot lift my head, as I am not worthy."

"Don't say such presumptuous things. You are more than worthy..." she crossed the gap between them and sat down, carefully not to ruin her dress. She would feel terrible if she damaged Wakahirume's piece of art. "I didn't come to stare at the back of your head. So...please?"

Mirg didn't wish to turn down her plea, so he reluctantly raised his head, and his eyes met his sister's.

"...You're beautiful." he admitted in a low tone. "A monster covered in scales and darkness such as myself pales in front of you."

He was about to lower his head once again, but Ylil laid a hand over his cheek, stopping him. He involuntarily purred and closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. It was warm...and soothing...just like their mother's touch. His tail flicked, adding to his embarrassment.

"Your scales," Mirg opened his eyes as Ylil spoke. "They're rough and cold. How peculiar..."

Mirg's eyes shot open and his head jerked away. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You've done nothing wrong." Ylil reassured him. "In fact, I find you beautiful as well. Your presence radiates order, your appearance screams power, and your actions speak of leadership and respect. Oh, from here forth, I shall bless the day you were born as my brother..."

"Onee-sama..." Mirg gasped when Ylil hugged him, with arms and wings alike. "How can you love something so different...?"

"Don't be silly." Ylil chuckled. "Mother must've told you, didn't she? I'm also the goddess of the soul, like Psyche. I can assure you, our souls are identical. They just bear different powers, that's all. You're my brother through and through."

"...I understand." Mirg let out a rare smile. He then fully spread his wings and embraced his sister. "Thank you, Onee-sama."

"Likewise, Onii-sama."

_The reason why they were so intrigued of one another is rather simple, actually._

_They're twins._


End file.
